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Battle at the South Pole
Battle at the South Pole is the third episode of the Cyborg 009 1968 anime. It is a loose adaptation of the manga story "The Aurora Strategy". This episode marks the first appearance of Cyborgs 002, 004, 005 and 008 in the series. Plot Summary A Neo-Nazi group called Black Cross has abducted a scientist to use his invention called the Mad Machine to disrupt all the world's machines and render all militant forces defenseless against them. Episode Recap 009, in his civilian identity as hotshot racecar driver "Hurricane Joe" Shimamura, is participating in a competitive race. 007 is cheering him on by watching the race on TV at Chang's restaurant, much to the annoyance of Chang himself as 007 should be working. During his excitement, 007 accidentally spills hot ramen onto Chang's head and ignores his agitation of not working. As the race goes on, all of the cars go spiraling out of control and crash, including Joe's car, much to the shock of the two seeing it on TV. Joe manages to use his cyborg powers out of sight of the crowds and rescue the driver he crashed into. As the crowd is amazed "Hurricane Joe" wasn't hurt, a suspicious figure leaves the racetrack, satisfied that the "Mad Machine" device in his hand works. As 009 meets with 003 and 001 who were watching from the stands, he notes how odd it is that the driver of the other car crashed into him as that racer is know for being a safe driver on the track. Chang gets a call from Dr. Gilmore for he and 007 to come to the lab quick. Dr. Gilmore is on a bed with an icepack on his head, he tells the 00 Cyborgs he had been expecting a friend, Dr. Kozumi, to show off his latest invention: The Mad Machine device. But someone broke into the lab and knocked him out and took Dr. Kozumi. He then is agitated that Dr. Kozumi does not take the time to care for his daughter. Realizing she could be in danger, he orders 009 to go to Dr. Kozumi's house and guard his daughter Shizue. 003 then uses her super hearing and comes across a conversation of the kidnappers talking about abducting Shizue, she then sees that a black car is pulling into Kozumi residence. 009 jumps out the window and into his car and races to get to Shizue. Shizue is sitting alone in her house with a cake that has candles, as today is her birthday. She sadly says that she hates her father for forgetting her birthday and working in his lab constantly. She then hears a car pull up and thinks its her father, but it is the kidnappers who knock her out, grab her and carry her off. 009 stands in front of the doorway and then beats up the kidnappers, throwing them out of the house and into their car, knocking them unconscious. 009 tries to drive Shizue to someplace safe. Shizue talks about how she hates her father's work as it keeps him from spending time with her, and now she is all alone. Suddenly, an Osprey-like plane appears in the sky and chases Joe's car. Joe activates a secret rocket booster switch hidden on his car's shifter and seems to lose them by gaining more speed, however the plane locks its propellers into a forward position and gains on them just enough for the Mad Machine ray to be used on Joe's car. The car goes spiraling out of control and goes off the side of a cliff, bursting into flames and leaving an injured 009 witnessing Shizue being taken. He tries to get up and go after them but the Mad Machine has caused his cybernetic parts to malfunction as well. The kidnappers try firing on 009, but he simply shrugs off the bullets. The kidnappers run away with Shizue as another car is coming and 009 once again struggles to move his body properly and falls over. 003 and 007 stop their car and help 009. 009 feels better as the effect of the Mad Machine wore off. 003 detects an aircraft about to land in an area where there is no runway or airport. Seeing this as suspicious, the three cyborgs go to investigate the landing site. The trio find the plane from earlier and a larger more luxurious plane lands, the kidnapper board the larger plane while 007 transforms into a mouse and sneaks on board. 009 decides to accompany 007 and grabs on to the tail of the plane, riding on top of it and leaving 003 behind. 007 tries to free Shizue but she is freaked out by the fact he is a talking mouse. 007 tries to shapeshift into other animals and then partially back into himself to calm her down but Shizue's gag comes off and she screams. 007 hides by becoming a box and the pilot ties Shizue's gag back on while sitting on 007, who struggles to keep his form while holding the weight of the pilot sitting on him. 003 informs Dr. Gilmore of 009 and 007 going off by themselves while 001 tracks their plane, which is heading for Antarctica. Gilmore is worried and frustrated, if the kidnappers have the Mad Machine then the Cyborgs are in danger as the machine can disable their powers temporarily. 003 relays the info about Mad Machine to 009 on his portable radio and says she will call for backup to help him. She calls the other 00 Cyborgs and 002, 004, 005, and 008 assemble from their native countries once 003 and Gilmore relay the details of the mission. The plane nearly reaches its destination as a fighter jet comes to escort it. 007 overhears one of the kidnappers say it is almost time for the "reunion". Meanwhile, 009 tries to hijack the fighter jet, but he is spotted by the other plane in doing so. 009 flies in a position to attack. He then orders the plane to land or else it will be fired upon, but the "commander" uses the Mad Machine weapon. Its beam knocks 009 out and sends the jet off course flying wildly in the air until it malfunctions and falls into the sea. The commander is pleased with the results and Shizue is upset her father invented something so dangerous. The 00 Cyborgs head to Antarctica in the Dolphin, but given that there has been no contact from 009 and they are still 2 hours from the continent, Dr. Gilmore authorizes use of the Super Drive to get there faster. Gilmore soon regrets his decision when the engines fire up and he is sent hurtling back across the ship into a console panel, getting a bump on his head and cursing Dr. Kozumi as the one responsible for it. 009 emerges from the freezing arctic waters, his body still numb from the effects of the Mad Machine. 009 sees a penguin, but thinks thatis is somewhat odd looking. 009 throws a snowball near the penguin and the creature investigates it, then moves to where 009 is and points a gun at him. 009 tussles with the penguin and then beats it unconcious, opening its beak to reveal a man in a costume. 009 realizes this man is a guard and so the base of the kidnappers is nearby. Meanwhile, 007 follows Shizue by knocking out a soldier and shapeshifting into one. He follows them and hears one of the penguins say "Heil Black Cross!" while doing a Nazi salute, after imitating it as the others did to fool the Neo-Nazis, 007 then sees the base. 007 mistakes a real penguin for a trooper and then goes inside the base to see a large amount of tanks, planes, submarines, boats and various other military gear and weapons. Shizue is escorted to a room where she and the Black Cross agents meet their leader Commander Hora. Hora then reunites Shizue with her father Dr. Kozumi and Koizumi apologizes to her for all the pain he has caused her. A penguin enters the room as Dr. Kozumi now refuses to work with Commander Hora. Hora then threatens Shizue's life by telling Dr. Kozumi his electric whip releases 5,000 volts of electricity that he can use on her. Hora then demands Kozumi to build a larger version of the Mad Machine so it can disrupt heavy military vehicles such as naval ships or Shixue will slowly die from electrocution. Commander Hora is about to whip her with 2,000 volts when Koizumi stops him and agrees to build the machine. Shizue protests but Dr. Kozumi tells her he regrets ignoring her after her mother died so he wants her to live so he can spend time with what is most precious to him. Shizue tells Commander Hora she speaks on her father's behalf and he will never make the large scale Mad Machine. Before Hora can whip her for her insolence, 007 transforms into a snake to scare Commander Hora into dropping his whip and then into a polar bear and beats down the Black Cross goons. The commander points a gun at Shizue's head but the penguin from earlier socks the commander in the jaw and reveals he is actually Cyborg 009. 007 is mad at being upstaged by 009, but 009 asks him to escort Shizue and Dr. Koizumi out as he covers them. 007 changes his mood as he gets to "save the girl". 007 changes into a baby carriage to carry Shizue, but as the four flee, he gets tired and is forced to be carried by her instead. 009 and company head for the exit, shooting troops along the way until the steel door seals, with them barely making it out of there before the door fully closes. Black Cross deploys all of their subs, tanks, copters and penguin costumed troops to pursue the four and then corner them. Commander Hora is informed by his not-so bright second in command that he thinks the boy in the uniform is a robot. Hora threatens to use the Mad Machine pistol on the "Robot". Taking advantage of his misinformed perception of him, 009 uses his human half to his advantage and gets hit by the ray, then pretends to be dead. Once the effect wears off, 009 counterattacks Hora and confiscates the Mad Machine pistol for his own use. The most of the tank squadron of Black Cross is defeated as they succumb to the effects of the Mad Machine and crash into each other. But one tank fires a shell and hits the glacial formation Dr. Kozumi, Shizue and 007 were standing behind and a piece of it falls threatening to crush them. 005 appears and catches the huge block of ice, hurling it at the penguin troops who run away. 002 also arrives and uses his swift supersonic speed to destroy the copters. 008 acts as a human torpedo and rams through the submarines, annihilating the Black Cross Naval Fleet. 004 appears too and uses his elbow and knee missile launchers to destroy the remaining tanks. Commander Hora attempts to retreat back to his base, but 006 uses his fire breath to cause an avalanche and the snow buries the Commander and his jeep. With everything wrapped up, Dr. Gilmore yells at Dr. Kozumi for putting him through so much grief. Dr. Kozumi explains that he made the Mad Machine because weapons ruined his wife Cynthia during the London Blitz in WWII and after Shizue was born, his wife committed suicide due to her disfigurement and injuries. Dr. Koizumi says the weapon was built with the intent to end war by rendering all mechanical and electronic weapons useless. After hearing Dr. Kozumi's side of the story, Dr. Gilmore is moved and agrees to help him build a larger prototype version of the device in his lab as a war deterrent, as it would prove more effective and save more lives than any atomic bomb. The episode ends with the Dolphin setting a course for home to help create a peaceful world. Notes *"The Aurora Strategy" story would be adapted again for the tenth episode of the 2001 series. *The references to the Neo-Nazis from the chapter are toned down a bit in the episode, with the enemy being renamed Black Cross. In the second animated adaptation they would be removed entirely from the story, presumably for censorship reasons. **Ironically, Black Cross would become the name of the enemies of the first Super Sentai, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, also created by Shotaro Ishinomori. *For unknown reasons, the Dr. Dolphin character from the original story was renamed "Dr. Kozumi", the name of an unrelated manga character. His daughter, who had been named "Cynthia" at the time in the Sunday Comics volumes, was accordingly renamed "Shizue" though the "Cynthia" name was in turn given to her mother. Category:Cyborg 009 (1968) Category:Cyborg 009 (1968) Episodes